UP CLOSE
Can you share a little bit about your background?
I grew up in Rock Springs, Wyoming, in a very small
town. I had a very difficult childhood. I never seemed
to fit in. As much as I wanted to fit in I knew I wanted to
be my own unique self.
travel passes at United. That later led to getting cards
and then a book deal.
What inspired you to begin writing children’s books?
The need to help kids that struggled like I did.
Was school initially a little difficult for you? How do you come up with the topics?
Yes, school was always difficult for me. I had Dyslexia,
it made learning very difficult, especially since it was
never diagnosed. I was held back in second grade due
to my reading level. Plus, I was always trying to be like
everyone else. It wasn’t until high school that I found
enough confidence to start enjoying school. Most of them stem from things I dealt with when I was
younger. Then realizing that I had a unique way of
expressing a lot of positive feeling through my art.
How did you overcome your challenges?
Determination, my grandmother, father and a lot of
denial.
In the early days, you were a flight attendant. How
did you transition from that to become a children’s
book author?
I started painting again with that job. I later decided
to put my art on products such as t-shirts, and other
clothing. I would attend trade shows since I had free
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